Don't Ignore The Fact That This Insider Just Sold Some Shares In Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)

We wouldn't blame Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Ernesto Torres Cantú, a company insider, recently netted about US$2.0m selling shares at an average price of US$72.50. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 34%, which is notable but not too bad.

See our latest analysis for Citigroup

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Citigroup

Notably, that recent sale by Ernesto Torres Cantú is the biggest insider sale of Citigroup shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$70.51. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

In the last year Citigroup insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Does Citigroup Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It's great to see that Citigroup insiders own 0.2% of the company, worth about US$217m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Citigroup Insiders?

An insider hasn't bought Citigroup stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. On the plus side, Citigroup makes money, and is growing profits. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Citigroup you should be aware of, and 1 of them makes us a bit uncomfortable.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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